As Swindon's iconic Spectrum building is about to receive a new lease of life, let's take a look back at its history.

Architect Sir Norman Foster designed the Mead Way building and went on to add The Gherkin, Millennium Bridge, Wembley Stadium and the restoration of the Reichstag in Berlin to his portfolio.

The design won the Financial Times Architecture at Work Award in 1984 - and Private Eye's Sir Hugh Casson Award for worst new building in 1985.

Renault commissioned the 58,500 sq metre building to be its distribution headquarters in 1980 after outgrowing premises in Reading.

Planning permission was granted in June 1981 before construction commenced in the following month and was completed in December 1982 following an investment of more than £8 million.

Parts of the building had to be flown in by helicopter during the construction process.

French Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Mme Catherine Lalumiere, officially opened the Spectrum Building in July 1983.

Its unusual interior, yellow steel umbrella masts, and glass walls proved to be a fitting backdrop for a villain's lair in Roger Moore's final James Bond film, A View to A Kill. Several scenes of the 1984 classic were filmed at the West Swindon site.

Renault closed the centre in 2001 when it moved its operations to the East Midlands. Since then Spectrum has been used by a CD and DVD manufacturer, car seat supplier TS Tech, and the children’s play area Kidz About.

In September 2013, English Heritage awarded the structure Grade II*-listed status as part of a move to protect post-war architecture.

At the time, the organisation's head of designation, Emily Gee, said: "This is a building designed by one of Britain’s foremost architects. It is an early and important design and one we should be really proud of."

Our gallery shows snapshots of the site from the last five decades, including mayoral visits, its grand opening, employees at work, and scenic views of its striking exterior.

What should we feature in Nostalgia next? Email suggestions to daniel.angelini@newsquest.co.uk